The Necklace of Heart
by J3nna
Summary: Kagome left the feudal era a year and a half ago, now to return to finish her responsibility of restoring the Shikon jewel. Alone, she tries to stay away from the hanyou, as she looks for the shards. When she finally meets him, how will she react?
1. Beginning

**The Necklace of Heart**

Kagome stepped out of the well for the first time in about a year and a half. Looking around herself, she sat down on the well. She breathed in the fresh air of the feudal era - it was heaven compared to the polluted air of the future. She lifted the single Shikon shard which was hanging loosely around her neck alongside a long, heart shaped necklace which she hid in her kimono. The faint light pink glow of the shard matched the color of her blossom kimono. It had taken her a lot of courage to come back to the feudal era, and she wasn't going to risk looking like an outsider anymore. Now that she wasn't traveling with _him_ anymore.

The young girl had matured well over the time. She was now sixteen years old, almost seventeen, and she was becoming a young lady. Kagome was somewhat taller and curvier than back them. Her hair now reached mid back, it had lightened to some extent as well - it was a darker brown now, rather than black. Before traveling to the feudal era, she was sure to drench herself in new scents. She for sure didn't want a someone to smell her from miles away. She wouldn't be able to fool him if he was close by. Her voice had deepened, also. Anyone who had known the young Kagome could tell her from this one only if they had know her very well. However, Kagome trusted her current appearances to deceive him, too.

She knew that there were still Shikon shards out there. She sensed them; she could feel where they were just as she felt the shard around her neck brush against her pale skin. Kagome held her dark red backpack, which was smaller than her older, yellow one. She took out her bow and arrows from within the bag. She placed her hand on the wooden bow, brushing her hand against it. Feeling a crack in the aged bow, Kagome closed her eyes as she tightened her grap. A pink light surrounded her hand, as she withdrew it from the bow.

"Good as new", she said to herself.

The bow was flawless once more. Kagome hadn't jut been a sitting duck while she stayed away from here. Despite putting all her effort into schoolwork, Kagome had used her spare time to learn how to improve her spiritual powers. In the beginning, she practiced on simple things such as mending a tear in her old school uniform, before advancing to fixing the kitchen door. It took a lot of her powers to remove the sutras she had placed on her side of the well to prevent _him _from coming back to her.

She pulled the bow around her arm, positioning it on her shoulder, soon followed by her arrows. She placed her bag on her other shoulder, as she stood up. Gazing around, she tried to locate the nearest shard. It was northeast. Kagome started walking, not looking back towards the well. This was her responsibility – she had broken the Shikon jewel, after all. Kagome had decided that after the jewel was complete and the villain had been killed, she would give the completed Shikon to the hanyou she used to travel with. She wasn't concerned with what he would to with it anymore. Turn into a full demon, use it to bring back her previous reincarnation, he could rot in hell with the aforementioned woman for all she cared.

"The shard…give me the shard. I must possess the powers of the Shikon!", she heard a low voice say behind her.

Seeing a fairly large snake demon lunge at her from the corner of her eye, she took her bow and struck it in its face. The touch of the bow started to purify the demon, as it screamed loudly. Kagome put her bow back on her shoulder and continued walking, as the snake lay withering in the ground.

"Yes, go that way," it screeched. "That is where a hanyou and his companions are. They are sure to finish you".

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. A single tear fell from her eye and slid down her right cheek. She didn't dry it away, just stood there for a moment. Kagome turned around, desperation in her eyes.

"Who are you talking about? Tell me at once!", she shouted, "Who is this hanyou you speak of? Let me know, and I will make it fast". She drew her bow and arrow, pointing them at the demons head.

"He goes by the name of Inuyasha", the demon said before falling limp. It was dead.

A few more tears slid down her cheeks as he heard his name. She froze once more, holding her attacking pose. He had hurt her so. Kagome never wanted to hear from him again, and her plan had just fallen apart. She shot the arrow at the snake's dead body. And another. And a third. Retreating her bow back onto her shoulder as she lowered her head and let the tears fall, wetting her kimono. Though, soon she regained her posture and wiped her tears away. Her eyes were slightly red, but she just continued on her way. Kagome had shed more than enough tears for him; if only she could fight her emotions and her feelings.

'_My old companions are there. I will find the shard before them, though. How could they possibly know it was there, anyway? Where they using my previous reincarnation? Not that I care._', Kagome thought, making her way into a forest.

Kagome looked around herself, with great caution. She tied her long hair into a ponytail, and took her bow and arrow into her hands as she made her way through the woods. The tall trees blocked out most of the sunlight, and the air was very thick and musty. She stopped walking and drew her bow.

"Don't shoot me, fair maiden, I am only a mere human", said the voice of a young man. He stood a fair distance away from her, shielding his face. He seemed like an ordinary journeyman.

"Don't like to me, demon!", she cried out, shooting her arrow.

The arrow pierced it's heart, as the demon showed it's true form; a wolf demon. It howled achingly as Kagome had ended it's life. Walking to the demon, she took back her arrow, purifying the dead flesh of the wolf, as lacked concentration and inspiration right now.

The name of her past lover had done enough.


	2. Loss

Inuyasha sat in a nearby tree from his acquaintances. Every now and then he would glance at them, just as a reassurance that they were still there. He didn't intend on loosing yet another one of his friends; however, the loss wouldn't hurt as much after loosing Kagome. He remembered vividly the day she left; calling after her and running after her. When he had finally reached him, she had looked deep into his eyes and whispered "I can't do this, Inuyasha", before she sat him. When Inuyasha had woken up, the Beads of Subjugation were gone, as was she. He had tried jumping into the well, only to realize that it wouldn't work. Inuyasha had desperately started clawing at the dirt in the well, tears starting to fall from his eyes.

"Kagome! Please, Kagome!", he had cried out, wanting his beautiful Kagome back. '_How could I have done this? Why did I mess this up?_'

The hanyou snapped back to reality, crossing his arms and letting his legs hang loosely. He hadn't changed much, but he was now clearly older; being taller and sturdier. His fire rat haori danced with the wind, as he looked down at the tree branch.

He started carving her name into the bark of the large tree with one of his long claws. Inuyasha got to 'Kag' before closing his hand into a fist and hitting it against her name.

"Dammit. How could you do this to me, Kagome? I never meant anything like that to happen, why don't you believe me?", he said, looking at the sun setting.

Flattening his ears to his head, he thought of the beautiful woman who used to be his lover, his mate. It had been a year and a half, but he still thought about her every night. Inuyasha thought about her eyes, her touch, her laugh. He loved everything about her, and now she was gone. Inuyasha closed his hand, his claws prickling his hand, causing small drops of blood to fall.

Shippoo stood by the tree, looking up at Inuyasha. He jumped up, trying to reach his surrogate father. Still a small kit, he couldn't reach that high. He sighed, and turned around, starting to walk back to the camp. In a flare of red, Inuyasha had jumped down, grabbed the kit and jumped back up. Holding Shippoo with his back to Inuyasha's stomach, just as his mother had done, the two sat in silence.

"Inuyasha?", the kit asked, looking behind, at Inuyasha.

"Yeah?"

"Were you thinking of Kagome? You looked so sad.", he said, turning around and hugging the hanyou.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, just put his head on the small fox's head. He looked down at him, a few tears falling his eyes. Shippoo let out a small sob too, as he thought about his surrogate mother. How they both missed her.

"Yeah, I was, Shippoo".

Ever since Kagome had left, Inuyasha had to take over the task of taking care of the kit. Before he was assumed the role of the annoying older brother, yet now he had changed into a replacement father. The two rarely fought anymore, and were almost always together. Even during battle, Shippoo would stay with Inuyasha. The young boy had already lost so much, and he wanted to hold on to the only parent he still had.

Sango and Miroku sat with Kilala at the camp, near the fire. They had been exchanging happy chatter until they heard the mention of the departed miko, Kagome. The three now sat silently, staring at the crackling fire. Sango, Miroku and Kilala had all taken the departure of Kagome very strongly. None of them knew the actual reason she had left; the last time they had seen her was three days before Inuyasha had done…something. What it was, they didn't know.

"Sango?", Miroku said, keeping his eyes on the fire.

"What, Miroku?", she answered, looking at the monk who had stolen her heart.

They had displayed their love to each other, but promised to keep is somewhat secret until Naraku had been killed and Sango had had time to cope with the death of her brother. The group had decided that after the Shikon jewel had been restored, it would be given to Inuyasha. The individuals would probably go their own ways after their task was finished.

"Do you still think of Kagome?", Miroku asked, now turning his head towards the woman next to him.

Sango sighed, resting her head on the monk's shoulder. "Yes, yes I do. She was my best friend", she said, letting a few tears fall.

It was strange how the friends of the miko so often shed tears for her. It had been quite a long time, and they probably never realized how much of an impact Kagome had had on all of them.

"I understand, Sango", he replied, putting his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He let a single tear fall.

Sango blushed slightly, but returned the loving embrace. Miroku had become more caring, and didn't try to touch her _there_ anymore. She appreciated that, as it let their relationship reach a new level. Their embrace lasted a few minutes, as Sango fell, tear-eyed, to sleep. Miroku chuckled slightly as he lay her down next to Kilala, who now transformed to her second form. Miroku lay down next to her.

Inuyasha lay the tired kit on the tree branch, as Shippoo slowly fell asleep. The hanyou put his hand to his chest, and grabbed his two pieces of the Shikon. This was all they had gotten in a year and a half. Just two shards. Since Kagome wasn't with them, they had to trust the talk the heard around the villages. Once they had gotten a new direction to go on, they had to find the right demon. Since the location of the shard was in the unknown, the Wind Tunnel couldn't be used. Finding the shard in the dead flesh was, so far, the worst part; they had to scrounge through the dead demon for weeks, even months.

The rest of the group had asked Inuyasha to get Kikyou to help them, although they disliked her. However, Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to do it; using Kikyou as a replacement Kagome seemed wrong to him. Besides, everytime he looked at Kikyou, he would only see Kagome, yet he knew that this imitation wasn't his beloved.

Besides, now it was too late to use the dead miko.


	3. Meeting

Kagome had made her way through the woods finally, and she sighed deeply as she finally slung her woods and bow on her shoulder once more. She as safe now; it was odd to her how insecure she felt alone. However, she would continue no matter what. She had to. It was her fate, until the jewel was restored.

'_Is this Kaede's village?'_, she thought, a smile appearing on her face. _'I hope she is there, I would love to see her!'_

She broke into a sprint, running quickly towards the village. Just a few ten feet away from the village, she slowed down and let her hair fall back onto her shoulders from the ponytail. She was determined that the villagers would not ask her questions which were out of the ordinary; she was hoping to only get "What is your name, miko?" or perhaps "Could you help me?". She entered the village, and was glad that she didn't draw much attention. A few villagers turned their heads to see the newcomer, but turned soon back as they saw she was just a human. Before long, an old man came up to her, his arm in bandages.

"Are you a miko, girl?", he asked, looking up; the man was fairly small.

Kagome smiled warmly and answered kindly, "Yes I am, kind sir. My name is Kagome."

The old man looked at the miko, asking her, "Could you help me, Lady Kagome? It is my arm, as you can see. It aches terribly, and the doctor of this village says there is nothing can be done", as he gently rubbed his left arm.

Kagome nodded, and took the old mans arms gently into her hands. Examining it, she reached and grabbed a jar from her bag. She opened the lid, and a dark green liquid resided in it. She opened some of his bandages, applying the mixture onto his aged skin. The old man winced slightly, but stopped as Kagome looked into his eyes affectionately. When she had covered his whole hand, the mixture had sunk into his skin, giving it an oily effect.

"Your arm should be fine now, sir", she said, wrapping the used bandages neatly.

The old man looked from his arm to Kagome, unsure, "Are you sure, Lady Kagome?"

"Yes, I am, sir. Not only is the pain gone, but you should be able to move your arm, too", she said smiling, as she put the mixture back into her bag.

The old man gently moved his arm, ready for the shooting pain that was about to come. As nothing came, he dared to move it more, bending his arm and moving his fingers.

"Lady Kagome, thank you. I am in your debt", he said happily, before turning around and starting to slowly walk.

"Hold on, sir! Could you tell me where Lady Kaede is?"

"Of course. Her house is near the shrine of the miko Kikyou who, sadly passed away many years ago", he answered, before walking off.

Kagome slightly cringed at Kikyou's name, but ignored it. How did she forget where Kaede lived? Her mind had probably been focusing too much on school work, her part time job at the hospital and the hanyou.

She started walking forwards, seeing Kaede's house. She smiled to herself; she would be glad to see the old woman once again. As she reached the small hut, she slightly knocked on the wood before entering the small premises. Kaede looked up, puzzled by the visitor.

"And who might ye be?", Kaeded asked, standing up.

"Kaede, it's me", Kagome answered, hoping the old woman would remember her. It hadn't been that long of a time, had it?

"I know ye?"

"Kaede, it's Kagome", she said, smiling at the old woman.

"Kagome?", she said, before walking hastily towards Kagome and embracing her in a tight hug. "It has been such a long time; ye have changed a lot, Kagome", she added, letting go of her. "Inu-"

Kaede stopped talking as Kagome put a single finger on her lips and shook her head. At first she looked baffled, before remembering what had happened between the two individuals.

"Are ye going to stay here at this village?", Kaede asked, sitting down once more.

"I'm afraid I can't. Kaede, I have returned to this era only to collect the remainder of the Shikon shards. After that, I will be giving the completed jewel to him.", she said, sitting down next to Kaede.

"Ah, I see. What if he uses it to become a full demon, Kagome? I thought ye didn't want that."

"I don't mind anything that he does anymore, Kaede. He hurt me so badly, the hardest part will merely be giving the jewel to him. Before I forget, Kaede, would you have any arrows for me? I want to be prepared for my journey, and I wasted a few arrows on some demons on the way here", she asked.

"Yes, I do, Kagome", Kaede answered, looking outside. "It is already dark, child. It would be safest to stay in the village. Would you?"

Kagome rested her face in her palms, thinking. _'It would be the safest option, I guess. It does slow me down, and if my former companions are using Kikyou they might find it before I do. Wait, are they using Kikyou? '_

Kagome smiled warmly and answered, "I guess I will, Kaede. However, can I ask you if my former acquaintances using your sister to locate the shards?"

Kaede looked at the sizzling fire next to her, sighing. A lot had changed while Kagome had been gone, and Kaede wished it wouldn't be her who had to tell her.

"Kagome, Kikyou died."

Kagome's eyes widened, and she let out a small gasp. Sucking in a little air, she managed to say, "How? Did Naraku do it?"

"No, Kagome. Inuyasha killed her."

This chapter is dedicated to the few reviewers who were eager to find out what had happened between Kagome and Inuyasha. I am sorry it wasn't figured out in this chapter, but you guys are a little closer to solving it out now. You reviewers inspire me to write, so thank you **TiffanyM **and **SilverApocalypse**.


	4. Raiden

Staring into space, Kagome was unable to say anything for a while. She would glance at Kaede a few times, but it took her a moment to understand this.

'_He…killed Kikyou? He killed her? Why? Why did he do it? Was it because he regretted what he did to me? Why?'_, she managed to think, as millions of thoughts flowed through her head.

Kagome stood up, raising her voice, "Why did he kill Kikyou? Kaede, tell me why Inuyasha killed Kikyou!". She had to know.

Did Inuyasha do it for her? Did he kill her previous reincarnation by accident? The last time she saw him, he had proved that he had loved Kikyou, not her. And the way he had done it was dreadful; she could never forgive him.

Kaede looked at the young miko, taken aback by her sudden outrage. Despite all she had said, Kagome still cared for the hanyou. Loved him, even? The old woman was not sure.

"Kagome, I am not sure of the reason, as-"

The older miko was cut short as Kagome walked outside, holding her bow and arrows. A strong aura was approaching the village at great pace; an evil aura. It was far away, though. Kagome couldn't see it, but she could feel it strongly. Kaede came out, looking at the woman beside her.

"What is it?", she asked, looking into the same direction Kagome was. Kaede couldn't sense the aura approaching; Kagome had become more advanced and stronger than she would have thought.

"It's…Naraku", she answered, drawing her bow.

A dark cloud was approaching the village, scaring the villagers. Many women ran in, clutching their children, while the men held to their weapons strongly as life itself. Kagome knew that this wouldn't help; even Inuyasha hadn't been able to beat Naraku yet.

'_I assumen he had beaten Naraku already, and was just collecting the remainder of the shards now. He isn't as strong as I thought'_, she stood, thinking.

"Villagers, go to shelter! This foe is stronger than what you can handle!", she shouted, adding, "Kaede, you can go too. I will handle him; I have become stronger in the past year than I would have ever hoped".

Kaede opened her mouth in protest, but then just nodded. She turned back and went to her hut, only to appear a moment later. She handed a bunch of arrows to Kagome which had sutras attached to them.

"Thank you. Now go", she said, and put the arrows away.

The demon appeared; Naraku. He was in his human form, surrounded by many smaller demons. He looked around himself – he had come for a jewels shard which Kanna had shown him in her mirror. It was carried by a young miko.

"You! You carry a shard of the Shikon, miko! Give it to me, and I will spare your life!", he shouted, smirking at the girl. She was all alone in this village, and she thought she could stand up against him?

"What do you think I am, a fool?", she answered, firing her arrow at the smaller demons.

The demons shrieked as the was arrow hit and the demons purified; about fifty demons fell to the ground, as Kagome shot another arrow, and another after that. It only took her three arrows to kill most of the demons – the only ones left were cowering behind Naraku.

Naraku observed as his demons were killed, shouting, "Then what are you, miko? How could you kill all these demons with only three mere arrows? I have only know of two woman who have been able to do that, and they are long gone."

"Does the name Kagome mean anything to you?", she smirked, firing her fourth and last at Naraku.

It hit his left shoulder, purifying most of his body. Naraku put a barrier around himself, as he retreated, going towards his hidden castle.

'_This is Kagome? This woman resembles nothing like her! However, I didn't kill Kagome; she mysteriously disappeared. Could she be back to search for the jewel shards? What ever it is that she is doing here, it cannot be good for me. Especially if she can do this much damage to me'_, he thought.

Kagome sighed, as Naraku left. The dawn had already broken, and the sun was rising. She called for Kaede, hugging the elder miko.

"I am going to continue on my journey now, Kaede. Thank you for your kindness. I will come here again", she said, letting go of Kaede.

Kaede nodded, saying "Nay child, thank ye. Ye saved this village – without ye Naraku would have destroyed us".

The villagers came out of their huts, thanking Kagome. The old man had spread her name around, and everybody now knew the young miko, Lady Kagome. Smiling, Kagome waved slightly as she left the village, continuing in the way of the jewel shard. She entered yet another forest; there seemed to be a lot of them around Kaede's village. The aura of this forest was cleaner, and she deemed it safe enough to walk around in without her bow.

After a while, Kagome sat down on a tree stump. She had been walking for a while now, and everything had gone well; only a few puny demons had tried to attack her. She had killed them with ease. Kagome grabbed a piece of fruit from her bag, peeling the orange and eating it. She stopped when she heard rustling from her bag; something had gone into it. The miko grabbed her bow, ready to strike the demon.

"Come out of there", she said, nudging the bag – she wasn't afraid of the demon, as it had to be a small one, perhaps the size of Kilala.

The creature whimpered, holding a grape in it's mouth. It looked like a Akita Inu dog, which was what Inuyasha was. It's fur was a darker color, a dark brown accompanied with black, with some white around the belly, tail and muzzle. The ears were identical to those of Inuyashas; they even twitched in the same directions. The dog also had a curled tail. Kagome reached out her hand to touch it, dropping her bow; however, the dog growled at her and backed away. In a flash of blue light, the dog had transformed into a larger one, apparently holding ice powers. It opened it's mouth, ice picks shooting out, one hitting Kagome in the shoulder.

"Stop, I don't mean any harm!", she shouted, clutching her arm. The fell onto her knees, slipping out of consciousness.

When she woke up, the Akita Inu was now transformed to his smaller state; it was sleeping in her lap. Kagome looked at her shoulder, but the wound was gone. Only a slight scar was seen, the color being light pink. Kagome smiled to herself – stroking the dog. It woke up immediately, wagging it's small tail. It gave Kagome a kiss on the cheek, which was when she remembered; demon saliva cured injuries at extraordinary rate. Not knowing if this was a male of female, Kagome lifted the dog's front legs.

"A boy, for sure", she said, lowering the dogs legs and chuckling to herself, "Akita Inu, would you be willing to travel with me?"

The dog barked happily in response. Kagome smiled, lifting the dog to her face. He was slightly larger than Kilala, yet still a very small dog of the Akita Inu breed. Kagome hugged the dog, thinking of a name.

"How about Raiden? It is the god of thunder, and it means thunder and lightning", she asked, putting the dogs nose to her nose.

The dog wagged his tail happily to his new name, Raiden. Kagome hugged him, grabbing a can of dog food from her bag. Her mom had put it in there by accident, as she had forgotten what had happened between her and him. She opened it, as Raiden ate from the can hungrily.

"Poor puppy, you must've been famished", she said as she put the can to the ground.

She would have to go get more food and water for her new companion. However, the well was far away. Kagome turned to Raiden who was now sitting, satisfied. Kagome squatted, looking it his eyes.

"Can you fly, Raiden?", she asked, hoping he could, like Kilala could, "I need to go back to the well to get you more food."

Raiden looked at her confused. He didn't know how to fly, but he didn't want to disappoint her. He looked into Kagome's eyes with his sad ones, as a _no_. When Kagome understood, she sighed and stood up. However, Raiden transformed. The miko turned around, holding her bag, bow and arrows. He motioned her to get on his back, and Kagome did so. Holding onto his fur, she looked at him.

Raiden barked a few times, looking in each direction, scaring Kagome somewhat. She calmed down soon enough, clutching his fur tighter.

"The Bone Eater's Well", she said.

He broke into a run, going through the forest at a paranormal pace. After half a minute, Kagome found herself right in front of the well. She smiled, and climbed off Raiden who transformed into his puppy form once again, wagging his tail.

"Raiden, thank you!", she said, patting the puppy, "Stay boy, I'll be back in a short while", Kagome added, leaving her bow and arrows with the dog.

Kagome jumped into the well, as the flashing lights surrounded her. Raiden whined as she disappeared, but as a good puppy he sat firmly on the ground. As the miko reached the other side, she quickly ran to her house. Thankfully, nobody was home. Looking through the cupboards, she found the right one. Stuffing a dozen cans into her bag, she also took a water dish. Before soon, she was back in the feudal era, with Raiden waiting for her.

Raiden wagged his tail once more, transforming. Kagome patted his head, climbing on his back. She closed her eyes, trying to locate the shard. It had changed direction, but was still within the same demon. The shard was north.

"That way, Raiden", she said, pointing towards the direction.

As Raiden broke into his run, Kagome sat quietly. She put her hand to her right, where the neck and the shoulder connected. Beneath her hand was a bite mark.

A mate mark.


	5. Shard

"Left. Right. Forward. Left again", Kagome instructed, holding onto Raiden.

She was surprised how long it took to get to the shard, since she was traveling with the puppy now. However, she felt it get closer to her all the time; as if she was drawn to it. The demon carrying it was a swift one – not many could keep up with Raiden, not even the hanyou. Quite soon, the two arrived at a clearing, seeing a huge horse demon, it's head hung low, it's back turned to them. Kagome looked at the horses head, gasping loudly, causing the horse to turn it's red eyes towards her and Raiden; it's mouth was dripping from fresh blood, form the dead wolf demons laying against it's feet.

The horse stood easily at least a few meters above the miko and the dog. The wind blew against his blue fur and mane; it whinnied loudly, walking towards the twosome. Raiden growled loudly, as Kagome climbed off him, drawing her bow – the jewel shard was located in the horse's forehead. She released the arrow, missing the shard by a few inches.

"Dammit!", she cursed, drawing another arrow.

The horse started galloping towards her, at absurd pace. Raiden pushed Kagome onto his back, jumping out of harm's way, just in time. The horse collided into a few trees, knocking them down. The demon turned around, stomping his hoof into the ground. Kagome quickly took her arrow, shooting it. As the arrow was surrounded by pink light, it traveled towards the jewel shard.

"Come on, hit the shard", she said to herself, ready with another arrow.

The arrow hit the shard, as the horse let out a ear aching yelp. It fell to the ground, and Kagome put her bow away. She went on Raiden's back, motioning him to go the horse. He trusted Kagome, and went to the dead demon. Kagome climbed off his back, and the dog turned back into his puppy form. The miko picked the shard out of a pool of blood, purifying the demon blood into pure water. Kagome took her own shard, putting her hands together. A pink light lightly surrounded her hands, and as she opened them, the shards had now combined.

"Raiden, we are going to set a shelter here for the night – the next shard is too far away from here", she said, starting to walk forward into the woods.

Raiden followed the miko, walking right behind her heel. Before long, Kagome had located a remotely large cave, right near a small pond. She went into the cave, laying her belonging on the floor.

'_I am going to place a barrier around this cave, for protection'_, she thought, soon distracted by lapping noises.

She turned around, seeing Raiden drink out of the murky pond.

"Raiden, no, boy!", she shouted, stomping towards the puppy.

Raiden stopped drinking, and sat down with his head held low. Kagome felt sorry for the puppy – he was only thirsty. She turned her heel, retrieving the water dish from her back, emptying one of her water bottles into it. She placed it in front of the dog, patting his head. Immediately, Raiden looked up at Kagome, then noticed the water in front of him. He stood up, drinking the water. As soon as he wasn't thirsty no more, Kagome set a can of dog food next to him, which he ate swiftly.

Kagome chuckled to herself, going into the cave and eating a few fruits from her bag. She had many modern products in there, such as noodles, rice and chicken in ready-made packages, yet she wanted to save them for when she needed them. Now that she was traveling with her puppy, it was easier to travel to the well, to get anything she needed for herself or Raiden.

As the night fell, Kagome started a fire in the middle to keep warm during the cool, crisp night. She had placed her barrier a while ago, and now the two were hidden from the world. The puppy snored slightly in his corner, twitching lightly in his sleep. Kagome lay down her sleeping bag, the same one she had used a year and a half ago. It was rather old, but it was her favorite. Sliding into the warmth, Kagome closed her eyes. Before long, something soft was pressing against the side of her face; Raiden had come close to Kagome, sleeping near the miko's shoulder. She smiled, as she fell asleep.

"Good night, puppy".

Kagome woke up in the morning, sitting up, and rubbing her eyes. The dog was still sleeping, growling in his dream. Kagome laughed quietly, standing up. She straightened out her kimono – being so tired, she had forgot to change into her nightclothes.

"Ah!", she gasped, holding onto her shoulder.

Holding onto her mate mark from Inuyasha. She felt it burn, as she dashed to her bag, looking for her mirror. Finding the small pink and lavender mirror, she positioned herself to see her neck. The bite mark was redder, signifying that her mate was close. She cursed, putting the mirror away and taking a case of perfume, _The Stray Dog_. The title had enticed her so, and the scent was wonderful. She sprayed some of it on herself; she didn't stop until she was drenched in it. She would not risk the hanyou smelling her. Raiden had woken up due to the unusual scent, and was sniffing everything.

Kagome picked the puppy up, snuggling him close to her.

"We are going to go to the nearest village from here, Raiden. Is that all right? I am going to tell the villagers that the demon horse has been slain.", she asked, looking into his face.

Raiden barked in agreement, jumping out of her hands onto the cave ground. Kagome removed her barrier, and felt gush of cold air hit her face. The trees and leaves strayed with the wind.

"Raiden, it is really windy. Can you go the village fast?", she asked, as she grabbed her belongings.

The puppy transformed, wagging his, now, gigantic tail. Kagome climbed onto her dog; she had grown to love Raiden exceedingly. He had been an ideal company to her during her quest, despite the fact that they had been together for a short while. She believed Raiden felt the same way – right after he had attacked her, he had helped her. Kagome lowered herself to lie on the dog's back, his fur burshing against her smooth cheek.

As Raiden sped through the forest, they reached the village soon. The miko sat up, jumping down, as Raiden turned into his puppy form once more. They managed to walk a while in the village, before she saw red.

A fire rat haori, standing in the crowd amongst the villagers.


	6. Past

"_Inuyasha!", the raven haired girl called, a smile plastered on her face._

_The hanyou turned around, returning her smile. Her school uniform swayed from side to side, as she ran towards him. As she reached him, they embraced in a tight hug. Kagome put the side of her face onto his crimson haori, closing her eyes._

_'This is all I have ever wanted', she thought, holding onto the hanyou._

_A short while ago, a fortnight or so, Kagome and Inuyasha had had some lingering feelings towards one other, and, when alone, managed to speak about them. The miko had blushed heavily and the hanyou had looked away, but soon they had turned around to hold each other, much like they were now. Shortly there after, Inuyasha had sunk his teeth into her neck, holding her tightly. The miko shed a few tears, wetting his haori. As Inuyasha withdrew from her neck, he licked some of the blood off, causing the wound to heal quickly. After this, they had shared a moving kiss._

"_What took you so long to come back, Kagome?", Inuyasha asked, stroking her hair with his clawed hand._

"_I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I'll stay longer now, to make it p to you", she answered, looking into his eyes._

_How she loved his eyes – they were the color of gold, and showed his true nature, as it was, a hanyou. Whenever he had transformed in the past, the first sight that startled her was his eyes; as if the hanyou she knew had disappeared.,_

_"I love you", he said, raising her head with his hand, bringing her lips to his._

_Kagome closed her eyes, kissing softly against his lips. When they parted, she grabbed his hand as they walked. As Kagome tried to walk towards the rest of the group, he pulled her hand in another direction. Perplexed, the miko glanced at the group, as she was lead by Inuyasha. Before long, the two arrived in a small clearing – a rock surrouned by a few willow trees, which stood tall from the ground. Inuyasha seated his mate onto the rock, as he stood next to her. She looked up at him, waiting for him to say something._

_"Kagome, this is for you", he said, holding his fist out to her, looking away._

_The miko put her hands under his fist, as he opened it. A fine chain fell into her hand, decorated by a single, golden heart. Kagome held it, amazed. She looked up at him, as she put the necklace around her neck._

"_Inuyasha, it is beautiful. Thank you", she said, holding out her hand and grabbing his haori._

"_Feh. It was my mother's, and she told me to give it to my true love", he said, turning around._

_Her eyes filled with tears, and she let them slide down her face. She was his true love? This pleased her more than anything else in this world could. Kagome stood up, kissing his lips. _

_Inuyasha put his arms around her, holding her tightly. He deepened the kiss, using his tongue to ask for entrance to her mouth, which she granted. Kagome wrapped her hand around his neck, her other hand guiding itself to one of his dog-ears. She gently rubbed it, earning a slight moan from Inuyasha. The hanyou lifted her shirt over her head, exposing her bare skin to the cool air, causing slight goose bumps on her skin. She continued to rub his ear, yet her other hand opened his haori, letting it drop to the ground._

_The hanyou stopped for a moment, laying out his haori. Kagome stepped onto it, kicking off her shoes and socks. She sat down, looking into her mate's eyes. Inuyasha sat down, starting to kiss Kagome once more. After a moment, he slid her skirt off, looking down at the beautiful woman under him._

_"I love you", he repeated, seeing the heart necklace around her neck._

_He used his claws to shred her bra, causing Kagome to slightly gasp as the air hit her nipples, hardening them. Inuyasha guided his mouth from her lips to the valley between her breasts, and gently put one of her nipples into his mouth, licking it. Kagome moaned, placing her hands into his silver hair. Stopping, the hanyou guided his mouth down her stomach to the garment keeping him from the last part of her. He smirked, shredding it as he had done with her bra. He licked her light pink lips, making Kagome shiver in delight. He found her pearl, sucking on it lightly, as his mate moaned out his name._

_"Oh, Kami, Inuyasha", she said, arching her back to be closer to his mouth._

_Inuyasha continued this, putting his arms around her legs. Quite soon, Kagome screamed out her release. The miko dashed to his hakama, noticing the bulge in it. She released him, holding his man hood in her hands. She looked at it, wide eyed, and licked the tip, looking up at Inuyasha. He moaned, urging her to go on. Kagome put him into her mouth, sucking hungrily on him. She put her arms around his waist, holding onto her mate. _

_"Kagome", he panted out, releasing his seed into her mouth._

_She swallowed what she could, licking his manhood clean. She lay down on her back, looking up at the hanyou above her. He put his manhood to her entrance, looking into his mates eyes._

_"Are you sure, Kagome?", he asked, flattening his ears to his head._

_Kagome nodded, closing her eyes tightly. He thrust into her, breaking her barried. He smelt her tears, holding her close to him._

_"Shh, it's going to be okay", he whispered to her._

_The miko nodded, letting her tears fall due to the pain. He let her get used to his size, and waited for her approval. Soon enough, Kagome nodded, allowing him to continue. Starting at a slow pace, Inuyasha started thrusting into her. As the pain subsided, Kagome urged him to go faster, as he did. Moaning to each other, they both knew their love would be always there, and nothing could break them up. At least that is what they thought._

_When Kagome screamed her release, Inuyasha held her tightly, spilling his seed into her. He collapsed on top of her, yet soon slid next to her. With her back to his stomach, Inuyasha put his arms around her. Just as they were about the drift to sleep, he whispered;_

_"Kikyou"._

_Kagome turned around, her eyes wide. She grabbed her clothes, moving away from Inuyasha._

_"What?!", she shouted, holding her shirt against he bare chest._

_Inuyasha was staring into the distance, and the miko turned around. There stood her previous incarnation, looking down at the two in disgust. She turned around, hurriedly moving away from them._

_"Kikyou, wait!", he called out, putting on his hakama, and dashing after her._

_Kagome sat on the ground, clutching her clothes. A few tears slid down her face, as she looked up. She pulled her shirt over her head, pulling the skirt to it's place. As soon as she was dressed, she grabbed her bow and arrows and broke into a run, not holding back her tears._

_'That son of a bitch', she thought, running as fast as she could._

_Soon, she arrived at the Bone Eater's Well. Not looking back, she jumped into it, traveling to her era. As soon as she climbed out, she ran to the shed behind the house. Finding an ancient book, she read form it how to seal the well. After a while, she had made her own sutras, putting them onto the well._

_'He cannot come here now', she thought, sighing._

**Sorry for not writing about Kagome meeting Inuyasha just yet; I saw this as a perfect opportunity to tell you exactly what our hanyou had done.**


	7. Hate

Kagome froze in her tracks. Raiden looked up at her, whimpering slightly at the pale girl. The miko let a single tear fall down her cheek, but quickly raised her hand to wipe it away. She turned her heel, and stared into the ground - she wouldn't risk him seeing her, yet now that he was here, she felt as if she was betraying him for leaving. Her hand trembled as she crouched down, picking up the confused puppy by her feet. Kagome raised him up to her face, whispering into his ear.

"No matter what you do, Raiden, do not acknowledge the inu hanyou".

The puppy looked at the miko, puzzled, but decided it would be better to listen to her. Even though they had just spent a brief time together, but the two had formed an unbreakable bond. Somehow, Raiden felt that he was meant to be with her. He was meant to meet her. He was meant to attack her. He was meant to eat the insides of her shoes and throw them up at her feet as she lectured him. Yet, no matter what he did, he was always given the kind smile that she had; pure, sweet, lovely.

The location of the shard was close. Awfully close. It was just a mere distance from this village. Right in the direction where the hanyou was. She couldn't even go around the village unnoticed; since the feeling of the shard was so strong, it had to mean the demon was close by. If she were going to attack it, her old acquaintances would become aware of her.

"K-kagome?"

She looked up from her thoughts, realizing that he had seen her.

"Kagome?"

He advanced on her, running swiftly closer and closer to her.

_No, go away. Don't come close to me. Do not call my name anymore; otherwise, I do no know what I am going to do to you._

The hanyou stood just ten feet from her.

"Kagome."

He started walking closer to her, staring at her intently. She withdrew her eyes from him, looking down at the puppy in her hands.

_No._

Dropping the puppy, she withdrew her bow, and arrow followed by it. She aimed her arrow at him, hatred in her eyes. How dare he come to her? After what he did, she never wanted to see him again. Yet there he stood, coming in closer to her. He reached a halt as she had drawn her arrow, looking straight into her eyes. Her eyes glistened with tears that were about to fall.

"Stay the hell away from me, hanyou. I do not wish to be near you", she shouted, letting her tears fall, "How did you even recognize me, bastard?"

"Did you think I was going to forget about the woman I love?", he said, walking closer to her.

"Why do you lie to me?", she said, firing her arrow.

The arrow hit his left sleeve, pinning him to a nearby wooden hut. Inuyasha stared back and forth from the arrow to her. He opened his mouth, ready to shout something at her.

"Don't say anything", she said, drawing a second arrow, "If you say anything else, I will fire this arrow. And believe me, it will hit something that will hurt you more than your clothing".

He took her word for it, intently staring at the miko. She backed away, looking down at Raiden. He quickly transformed, as she climbed onto his back, still clutching her bow and arrow, directed at the hanyou.

"That way", she whispered, looking in the direction where the shard was.

Raiden broke into a run. Soon, the two reached the neko demon, looking at them.

"This has to go fast, Raiden, or else that hanyou will follow us".

The puppy demon decided to agree with Kagome; yet the reason for her being so afraid, he did not know. However, he trusted the miko, and nothing else mattered. Raiden attacked the neko, lunging himself at it, baring his fangs. He sunk his teeth into the demon's neck, earning a strong screech from it. After which, Raiden saw a light pink arrow be shot from the corner of his eye. It hit the neko in its stomach, as it purified the demon.

Since Kagome had been on the other side of the well, she had devoted her life to two things: her schooling and her spiritual education. Researching the ancient books in the tool shed in her recreational time, which turned out to be quite useful to her. In great detail, she had managed to quickly learn how to distinguish a demon from a human by studying its aura, how to use her spiritual powers to mend things, and how to control her purification abilities and arrows. Kagome could separate a dark aura from a pure one; with this, she was able to differentiate any beings. The miko, if she may be formally called one, had practiced shooting her arrows often. However, she hadn't had a lot of practice in purification – the only form of education in that area for her was reading and studying the books, paying vast attention to the detail of each method.

As the arrow hit the demon, Kagome ran quickly to it. She had to get the jewel shard fast, at least before the hanyou would be able to run after her. Ignoring the screaming of the neko, she darted her hand into it's neck, staining it in blood. She quickly pulled the shard out, her mere touch being able to purify it swiftly. After which, she jumped on top of Raiden, as she had just saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye.

"Raiden, now!", she shouted, aiming yet another arrow at the approaching hanyou.

His sleeve ripped, he jumped at great pace to reach the girl. Kagome yelled in disgust, firing her arrow, which hit his right leg. As the hanyou winced in pain, Kagome couldn't help but close her eyes and sob silently to herself; even though she hated him, she couldn't stand it when he was in pain. As Raiden broke into his run, Kagome lay herself on the puppy, crying into his soft fur. Confused, the puppy just kept on running, until they were a safe distance from the hanyou that had made the kind miko on his back miserable.

**Sorry that this chapter isn't as long as you guys had probably hoped. I am really busy in real life, and I am starting yet another story. This was the only moment I got the chance to update this. I promise that the next chapter will be the longest one yet!**

**Oh, and I hope this chapter cleared up some of the things that readers didn't quite understand.**


	8. Voice

Inuyasha fell to the ground, the stinging pain from his leg causing him to slowly slip out of consciousness. Seeing only blurred shapes, he cried out "_Kagome, Kagome!_" at the descending girl, until he fell into complete darkness. When he woke up, he found himself in a mere wooden shack, Shippoo and Kirara sleeping by his side. Standing up, he gasped once he had put weight on his right leg; the pain caused him to collapse once more. The arrow was gone, as he examined the deep hole in his leg. He tried to get up again, using the wooden wall to support himself.

'_I have to find her. I must_'_, _he kept saying to himself, his mind encouraging him more every time his rear hit the cold floor.

Cursing to himself, his eyes widened as he saw two sets of eyes staring at him. His eyes softened, as he picked up the kit, as Kirara went back to sleep.

"Does your leg hurt?"

"Yeah. But it's nothing. I'm going to go find Kagome, Shippoo, and I am bringing her back with me. If she will. If she forgive me", he said, as Shippoo jumped out of his hands.

"I'm sure she will, Inuyasha. I am so glad she is back", he said, lying next to Kirara, who was currently in her kitten form.

Letting out a yawn, the kit fell back asleep. Inuyasha looked out of the window at the full moon.

'_Tonight will be the moonless night. Dammit. I can't find her as a human_', he thought, trying to stand up once more.

Sango entered the hut, holding a few bandages in her hand.

"Inuyasha, sit down at once!", she whispered loudly, as to not awake the two.

Inuyasha's ears twitched on his head, as he turned his attention to Sango, leaning against the wall. He flattened his ears, drawing in heavy breaths, as he started straight into her dark brows eyes.

"Did you just tell me to sit?", he asked, his mind flooding with memories of the girl once more.

Realizing her mistake, Sango raised her hand to her mouth, a slight blush creeping across her face, "I-I'm sorry, In-Inuyasha. I didn't mean to, I just –"

She stopped talking as Inuyasha lifted his hand, sliding down the wall onto the floor. He held his head down as the taijya slowly walked over to him, and started bandaging his leg. He didn't once look at him, keeping his attention to his hakama. Once she was done, and had left, he sighed deeply. Feeling more confident now, he stood up with ease – being a hanyou wasn't that bad, after all. He walked silently, as he crept outside. Taking special care not to be noticed by the houshi and the taijya who were talking by the campfire, he swiftly leaped into the highest tree near the camp, in two jumps.

Sitting down, he quickly stood up again, clawing the tree bark, as it fell to the ground. Inuyasha ran to the end of the branch, jumping to the ground, slicing whatever he could find; trees, rocks, anything.

'_Why the hell is she here? Why? Doesn't she understand that she hurt me too?_', he thought, as he felt a sudden pain in his heart. '_No, she left because she had to, and I know why she did. It was my fault._'

His ears twitched, sniffing the air. Glancing around himself, he thought…did he recognize this fragrance? Was it her? Was it Kagome? He wasn't going to _err_ on the side of caution, as he broke into a run. She was far away – but he was going to make it there, for sure.

As her scent kept getting stronger, many thoughts went through his head – what was he going to say? How would she react? Snapping out of his thoughts, he heard her beautiful voice. Stopping a few hundred meters from her, he positioned himself in a tree, his eyes struggling to hear what she said from this distance.

Usually, he wouldn't cower in a tree like this. It was the inu yokai he was afraid would smell her. The miko had obviously told it about him – otherwise, it wouldn't hate him that much. He had seen these creatures before; once tamed, these small inu yokai would become loyal to the first creature they could trust: human, hanyou or yokai. They usually had element powers, and this one seemed to hold the powers of ice. He had seen these yokai with only a few, since they required a lot to trust.

"No, Raiden. Sit, boy."

'_Fuck_'.

He closed his eyes, prepared for the blow – until he realized, that as the girl had left him, she had taken the Beads of Subjugation as well. He flattened his ears. The necklace had been his only material connection to her. After she left, and took the beads with her, he had nothing that kept any bond to her.

Gathering up his courage, he started running towards her voice. What ever would happen, should happen. What shall be, should be.

Arriving in small clearing, he saw the girl sit on a rock a fair distance from him, the inu yokai in her lap. He growled slightly at this – too loudly, as the miko looked up at him, grabbing her bow and arrows as Raiden jumped from her lap, and transformed.

"What the hell do you want?", she shouted, her sight focusing on his leg. She felt an odd pain in her heart, as she saw the blood stained bandages around the wound.

"Kagome, I -"

"I don't want to hear your lies! Why should I believe you? Every time I have been around you, I have gotten nothing but grief. Whenever you went to _her_ behind my back, without even bothering to mumble a 'Sorry' before you left. Do you know how much that hurt, hanyou? Do you know how much I loved you? I guess the one night we were together your clay miko must've been having an off night, or something", she said, slightly laughing to herself at her last line.

Inuyasha took a few steps back, shocked by her words.

"Go!", she said, firing her arrow, closing her eyes as soon as she did so.

The hanyou narrowly missed it, panting loudly. He looked at Kagome, who gasped loudly, as a shadow covered him. Turning around, he felt shooting pain in his stomach and chest, as the darkness was engulfing him, once more. Seeing Kagome run towards him, firing an arrow, he fell into the darkness.


	9. Words

As his mind lifted from the lasting darkness, his whole body ached. Keeping his eyes closed, he attempted to lift his arm to see the extent of his injuries, only to have his hand drawn back to his body due to immense pain. The hanyou opened his eyes, realizing his body was covered with sutras – some of them he didn't even recognize the language scripted on the thin slices of paper. A visible, yet faint light pink glow surrounded tem, keeping him in his prison. Glancing around himself, he opened his mouth ready to shout: _Kagome_. His throat let out only a pathetic exhale, the hanyou's voice was paralyzed. Starting the panic, he spotted the girl and calmed down.

Kagome sat a fair distance from him, not looking into his eyes. She was sitting sideways from him, staring into space. Her knees rested on the ground with her behind on her feet, her arms in her lap. Raiden sat next to her, staring at the said hanyou intently, as if ready to strike him.

"You cannot speak", she said, still paying no attention to him, "Don't even try. It is because of my sutras."

She stood up. "Believe me when I say I do not wish to be near you in any circumstance, hanyou. My only desire is to complete the Shikon No Tama, and give the jewel to you. Why you? Because I furthermore don't care what you do to yourself – if you wan't to become a ravenous full demon who has lost himself along the way, do so."

She walked closer to him, her eyes staring at the ground. "I am only letting you stay this close to me due to your injuries", and as she said this, Inuyasha gazed down slowly as to not get hurt by the sutras again – he wasn't wearing his haori, and his midsection was bandaged. "I am not cruel, despite how much I despise you, _Inuyasha_."

Her saying his name saddened him more than anything else she could have ever said – the distaste in her words was strong, as if she was talking to a person who killed her. He didn't meant to hurt her, he truly didn't.

She took one last step, standing right in front of him, squatting down to look at his stomach and chest, her face seeming as if she was going to throw up on him any second. The miko had to look away every few seconds, as her poise hands worked his bandages. As soon as she had finished, she stood up and quickly walked to Raiden. Kagome picked the creature up into her lap, stroking it's head.

"Damn it. Those wounds will take at least a few days to heal, even if he is a hanyou. You friends better find you soon, as I don't wish to take care of you.", she said, still stroking Raiden, "But if they don't…", her voice cracked, "I guess it is my responsibility."

Inuyasha opened his mouth, using all of the energy he had to use his words.

"I'm sorry", he silently whispered.

Kagome glanced up, standing very still for a moment. She turned around soon, her chocolate eyes filled with anger and mistrust. She ran to the hanyou, staring him straight in the face.

"Oh, yeah? You're sorry, are you? Do you have any clue how much I suffered? Any idea how much it hurt?"

A tear slid down her face, as she continued to stare him in the face. "Do you know what it is like to be carrying the child of the man you love, have him betray you and loose the child?"

As she said those words, night of the moonless night fell and as the hanyou slowly changed into a human, millions of thoughts raced through his mind.

**Sorry for taking so long and sorry for the short chapter!**


	10. Seals

The moon rose slowly into the sky, as Inuyasha kept his eyes fixated on the woman before him. He couldn't think of anything to say, anything that would make her forgive him, but he knew he would try. He would not let Kagome run away, like she already had.

Braking him off from his thoughts, said miko stood up, and walked over to Raiden. Meeting questioning eyes, Kagome simply said;

"I am leaving now. Since you are human now, you shouldn't be able to break my seals as you did when you spoke. You should be safe, too – only I can see you past my seals. Raiden cannot even see me".

Said hanyou started thrashing his lims, much to no use; as if he were pinned down to the trees which held him in place, much like when Kikyou had pinned him with her arrows.

_Kikyou_.

Inuyasha had always seen the resemblance. And he hadn't seen it at the same time. Yes, it was given that the two looked alike – however, their minds and souls were different. After her rebirth, Kikyou was cold; distant and selfish, only being near the hanyou if she needed something from him. She wanted him to go to Hell with her only to satisfy her needs of revenge. Her needs. But, Kagome? She was perfect.

She was who he wanted.

She was the love of his life.

The hanyou grunted as he continued his need to break free of the seals; before long, drops of blood started falling from his arms and legs as he fought the seals. Not giving up, he continued, earning worried looks from the miko.

'_Damn it, Inuyasha. Damn it. Can't you just leave me be?'_, she thought, but her feelings took the best of her; although she hated him, she couldn't bare to see him in pain.

"Linaur se galht sam Inuyasha", she whispered; the seals broke, setting Inuyasha free.

Holding back yet more tears, she walked to him and started to mend his injuries. If she didn't help him, he would surely perish of the lost blood. As she finished, she stood up, staring at the hanyou.

'_Why am I so drawn to you? What keeps us somehow united?'_

She put her hand inside her kimono, and drew out the familiar rosary beads. She put her hands together, and started repeating ancient words; _Croneaoi sem lries tu Inuyasha_. The beads were surrounded by a pink light, as they started, one by one, joining themselves around Inuyasha's neck.

"Stay away from me", she whispered into the night, knowing that her words fell to deaf ears as the hanyou lay unconscious on the ground.

**I'm sorry it has been forever since an update, and that this is epically short. Still, it's something, right?**


	11. Please

As Inuyasha woke up, he let out a low growl. His body ached, but that was not what he was concerned with – where was Kagome? Said hanyou sniffed the air, and his ears perked up; _she was right here_. He turned his head around, and saw her standing against a nearby tree. His expression fell; she was paler than before, holding the tree to keep standing.

"Kagome -", he started, but was silently interrupted as Kagome raised her arm, slowly.

"Don't. Releasing you took most of my strenght", she whispered, slowly falling to her knees.

Inuyasha stood up, and ran to her, grabbing her waist. Raiden let out a loud growl, transforming. However, the hanyou paid no thought to the apparent danger, his eyes fixated on the miko in his arms. He lifted her, and carried her into the clearing. Raiden roared at the hanyou, crouching into an attack position.

Inuyasha turned his head slightly towards Raiden, "Listen, you runt. I am not leaving Kagome. Not like this. So, instead of _grrr_ing at me, why don't you help me?"

Raiden whined, but walked over to the hanyou and miko. He lay down on the ground, and Inuyasha put Kagome leaning against his fur. Her color seemed to return slowly.

"Kagome…", he said, slowly caressing her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered opened, and the hanyou drew in a breath.

"What keeps us united?", she whispered, speaking out her thoughts to him.

Inuyasha smiled, "My love for you".

Kagomes brow furrowed, and turned her head away from him, "No; please, just stop lying."

"I am not lying", he answered, putting his hands on her cheeks to turn her head towards himself. The miko protested slightly, and Inuyasha released his grasp on her.

She let out a dry chuckle, "Yes, yes you are."

"No, I am not. Why would I lie to you?", he demanded, staring at her face.

"Hm. Why wouldn't you lie? Oh, I heard about Kikyo. Why would you do that, by the way? You know that I, the reincarnation, would never match up to her", she said, turning towards him.

Inuyasha's expression fell, "I didn't love Kikyo."

"Hah", she managed to say, and drew in a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes, her breathing starting to even out.

"Kagome; I am sorry. What I did was horrible, but I cannot take it back. However, I couldn't just…end everything that I had gone through with her like that."

"She was already dead, hanyou".

Inuyasha flinched at that, but continued, "I know". His ears flattened to his head, which caused Kagome to look away; she couldn't resist the face she knew he had on.

"But I do not love her. I didn't go to Hell with her. Kagome, dammit, I love you! What do I have to do to prove it to you?", he half-shouted.

"Mm. You know, our child was a girl", she said, almost talking to herself as she stared off into space. "I didn't even have time to think of a name – I lost her that quickly."

Inuyasha's jaw fell slightly open, his hand dropping to his side.

"I was a horrible wreck for half-a-year. I don't think that I ever truly recovered", she continued.

"Kagome…"

"I only came to this era to complete the jewel. I will give it to you; you are at liberty to do what you wish with it. Transform into a full demon, I just don't have the strength to care anymore", she said, "So, I would appreciate it if you would stay away from me. I would like to complete the jewel as soon as possible and return to my time", she added, falling quiet.

"Kagome, you know I cannot do that", Inuyasha whispered.

"Please", she said, tears starting to stream down her cheeks, "It hurts to be near you. You have broken my heart, my spirit, my soul."

"You don't think I feel the same way?", he demanded.

"I don't know. All I know is that it hurts being around you", she answered.

"Please, Kagome. I now that there is a way for us; I still believe we belong together", he said, reaching out towards her chest, feeling her heartbeat. His eyes diverted toward the golden necklace around her neck; it was his necklace. He lifted it with his hand, holding it in between his claws, and said "And so do you. Why else would you keep this pendant?"

Kagome looked away, blushing slightly, "It reminds me of my old life; Miroku, Sango, Shippoo".

Inuyasha looked up at her, "It doesn't remind you of me?"

The tears started flowing once more, "It reminds too much of you".

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around the miko, holding her small frame to his strong one. He started gently caressing her back as she sobbed into his hakama. Her sobs quieted gradually, resulting in her silent hiccups.

"I think I still love you", she whispered, and the hanyou brought her face to his.

"I love you; now, and forever", he answered, grabbing her chin. He slowly pulled her face towards hers, and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

She kissed him back, her hands twisting into his silver hair. She broke the kiss to breather, and then looked deeply into his eyes.

"How do I know you won't break my heart again? I am just a mere human", she said, glancing behind herself. Raiden had left for the time being – poor creature.

"You aren't a mere anything to me, my love", he said, embracing her tighter.


	12. Ten years

**10 years later**

Kagome held her sleeping little girl to her chest as she walked towards her house. The two had spent a busy day playing at the nearby pond, and it had tired out both Kagome and Sae. Kagome entered the house, smiling a warm smile at her mate. She lay Sae down, then walked towards her mate and their two boys, Iyo and Izymi, who were younger than Sae.

Inuyasha stood up, and kissed Kagome on her lips. She smiled into the kiss, and raised her arms to embrace him. Inuyasha rested his head in her hair, breathing in her scent.

"I love you," he whispered, holding her tightly.

"I love you too," she whispered back, cupping his face in her hands.

Inuyasha smiled, and stroked her head gently. He raised his hand higher and caressed one of Kagome's dog-ears. He loved that they looked like his.

"I still cannot believe that you did this," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I want to be a hanyou like my husband?" she asked, then kissed him on the nose. She closed her eyes, remembering that day.

"_Inuyasha, the jewel is complete now," Kagome said, a small smile on her face It had taken a long time, but Naraku had been defeated and the jewel restored, but Miroku and Sango had lost their lives in the pursuit. Shippoo had decided to go his own way, as he was a young adult now._

_Kagome reached out her hand with the jewel in it, offering it to him. "I know how much you want to be a full demon," she said._

_Inuyasha looked into her eyes, and then sighed. "Kagome, all I want is you," he said, grabbing her by her arm and pulling her into his embrace._

"_But, Inuyasha –" she started, but was cut off when he placed a clawed finger on her lips._

"_I meant what I said, Kagome. Having you is more important than anything in this world," he said, caressing her cheek._

_Kagomes eyes glistened with new tears, and she forced herself to look away. "Inuyasha, I am a human. You are a hanyou."_

"_And?" he asked, confused._

"_I am going to die eventually," she whispered. "You have lived for centuries."_

_Inuyasha flattened his ears. He placed a finger under her jaw and turned her to face him. "Isn't a long, happy life with me enough?"_

"_So you would love me even when I am 80 years old, all old and wrinkled?" she asked, chuckling slightly._

"_Of course, Kagome," he answered, chuckling back._

_Kagome believed him, but it wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to be the old lady who had a young, handsome hanyou as a companion. _

_She looked at the jewel, and took it from his hand._

"_You aren't going to use this?" she asked, looking at it._

_Inuyasha looked at it, and then at her. "No, I'm not."_

_Kagome pushed at his chest, and ran a few steps in the opposite direction. She closed her eyes and held the jewel against her heart. The jewel began to glow, and it engulfed Kagome in it's glow._

_Inuyasha stood frozen, staring at Kagome. "Kagome!" he shouted, and began to slowly run towards her. The blinding light caused him to stop, and he struggled to see her._

_A few moments later, the glow began to fade, and Kagome slumped onto the ground. The jewel had disappeared, and all she had in her hand was the necklace it had once been placed on. Her breathing was ragged, and she whimpered a little._

_Inuyasha began running towards her again, but slowed as he saw the dog-ears on her head. His eyes widened as he walked to her, and knelt down. He picked her up and held her against her chest._

"_Kagome? Kagome, please wake up," he pleaded desperately, shaking her slightly. He needed her. "Please, Kagome," he whispered. The girl stayed quiet as Inuyasha picked her up._

_Kagome groaned, and shuffled in his embrace. She opened her eyes slowly. _

"_Kagome, what did you do?" he asked, even though he knew, and looked at her ears once again. They were black, like her hair._

_Kagome brought her hand to her vision, and smiled contently at the claws on it. She felt small fangs in her mouth._

"_Your eyes are deep blue, Kagome," he said, holding her closely to him._

_She smiled at him. "I wanted to become a hanyou, like my mate. I am not going to be an old lady with a hanyou," she said, chuckling._

Kagome snapped back to the present as Inuyasha began talking.

"Can you believe it has been ten years already?" he asked, looking at their three children.

"No, not really," she said, falling into another memory.

_Kagome emerged from the old well to her time. The jewel had been completed, but it hadn't been used yet. So far, the plan was that Inuyasha would use it to become a full demon, but that two hadn't talked about the subject much since the death or MIrkou and Sango. Inuyasha had decided to stay on the other side, as Kagome had wanted to do this alone. _

_Slowly, Kagome began climbing up the old ladder. She was nervous the whole way. She walked to her house, knowing that her mama would be there. She slid the door open, and entered the kitchen._

_Mama Higurashi turned around, smiling at Kagome._

"_Kagome, I'm glad that you are back. Where is Inuyasha?" she asked, looking past her to see if he was there._

"_Inuyasha stayed in the feudal era, Mama," she said, trying to look confident._

"_Kagome, is something wrong?" Mama Higurashi asked, walking to Kagome._

_Kagome swallowed nervously, looking away from her mama. "Mama, I have decided to stay in the feudal era with Inuyasha."_

_Mama Higurashi was quiet with the sudden news, but soon smiled at Kagome. "Well, I truly hope that you enjoy it there," she said._

"_Mama, when I stay, I won't be able to return," Kagome said, turning to her mama. "You understand that, right?"_

_Mama Higurashi sighed, then looked away for a moment. "It makes me very sad that I won't be able to see you anymore, dear, but I want for you what you want. If staying in that era makes you happy, that is where I want you to be," she said, and walked to Kagome. She embraced her in a hug, as Kagome quietly sobbed into her shoulder._

"_I'm sorry, Mama," she whispered._

"_Shh, don't be sorry, honey," she said, stroking her daughter's hair._

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, looking into her eyes. "You spaced out again."

Kagome refocused on Inuyasha, then smiled at him. "I'm sorry, I have been thinking about the past a lot lately."

"Oh," he said, relieved. Kagome didn't usually wonder for full minutes at a time, and knowing that she was just thinking of the past eased him.

"The first ten years, right?" Kagome asked, smiling at him.

"Yes, the first of many," he said, kissing her again.


End file.
